Seed certification reset for next harvest

Seed harvested next season will be the first to be fully certified under a new national digital system, marking a major change for how the industry operates in New Zealand.

George Gerard.

The Seed Certification Information System, known as SCIS, has now been completed and formally approved for use by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

From the 2026–27 cropping season, all certified seed crops will be administered through the new system.

NZ Seed Authority chair George Gerard says the change removes long standing risks tied to the old certification platform.

“The new SCIS replaces the existing legacy system, which had become outdated, unsupported, and no longer met modern digital security expectations,” Gerard says.

“It introduces a fully online, role based digital environment, eliminating all manual paper based processes previously used in seed certification administration.”

According to a Business and Economic Research (BERL) report commissioned by the Arable Food Industry Council late last year, seed crops generated $865 million in sales in 2024, added $389 million to GDP and accounted for 2329 full time jobs.

The $7 million SCIS project has been six years in the making and was led by the NZ Seed Authority with more than $2 million in funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund.

Gerard says the system has been built to protect the integrity of seed certification into the future.

“This is about futureproofing seed certification for growers, processors and exporters,” he says.

“Security, traceability and accuracy are critical for maintaining confidence in NZ certified seed.”

SCIS is a fully digital platform that manages the administration of certified seed crops from paddock mapping through to approval and record keeping.

One of its key features is use of geospatial technology to map certified seed crops, improving visibility and reducing the risk of error.

The system has been developed under the oversight of a steering group made up of the NZ Seed Authority, AsureQuality and the Ministry for Primary Industries, each with a defined role in seed certification.

MPI remains the regulator of the OECD seed varietal certification scheme in NZ.

AsureQuality delivers contracted seed certification services and operates as the country’s sole independent verification agency for official seed certification schemes.

The NZ Seed Authority provides governance and policy direction, representing growers, processors and seed companies through its industry based executive.

The system is currently in a pilot phase with selected industry users, running on crops harvested in 2026.

From the following season, all certified seed crops will move under SCIS, making next season’s harvest the first to be fully managed through the new system from start to finish.

The move is expected to reduce paperwork, improve audit visibility and strengthen compliance with international standards, particularly under the OECD varietal assurance framework.

Gerard says the new system also gives the industry better tools to demonstrate credibility in export markets.

“Certification underpins trust,” he says.

“This system strengthens the integrity of NZ seed certification at a time when overseas markets are paying closer attention to assurance and traceability.”

For growers, the shift will mean changes to how certification information is submitted and managed, but the underlying standards remain the same.

Industry bodies say the digital system is designed to be more intuitive and consistent, while removing duplication and manual handling.